The present disclosure relates to a 3D data analysis apparatus, a 3D data analysis method and a 3D data analysis program, and, more particularly, to a 3D data analysis apparatus for displaying measurement data of microparticles by a 3D stereoscopic image, and the like.
In order to analyze microparticles such as bio-related particles such as cells, microorganisms and liposomes or synthetic particles such as latex particles, gel particles and industrial particles, a microparticle measurement device of introducing dispersed liquid of microparticles into a channel and measuring optically, electrically or magnetically microparticles has been used.
As an example, there is a particle analyzer for discriminating synthetic particles according to the size or shape thereof. As parameters which may be measured by the particle analyzer, there are an elementary composition and a particle diameter of a microparticle and the like.
A flow cytometer (flow cytometry) is used to analyze bio-related particles. As parameters which may be measured by the flow cytometer, there are forward scattered light (FS), side scattered light (SS), fluorescence (FL), impedance and the like of the microparticles. Forward scattered light (FS), side scattered light (SS) and fluorescence (FL) are used as parameters showing optical characteristics of cells or microorganism (hereinafter, merely referred to as “cells”) and impedance is used as a parameter showing the electrical characteristics of cells.
More specifically, first, forward scattered light is light which is scattered at a small angle in a front direction with respect to a laser light axis and includes scattered light, diffracted light and refracted light of laser light generated at surfaces of cells. Forward scattered light is mainly used as a parameter showing the size of the cells. Next, side scattered light is light scattered at an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to a laser light axis, and is a scattered light of the laser light generated in a granule or nucleus inside the cell. Side scattered light is mainly used as a parameter showing the internal structure of cells. Fluorescence is light generated from a fluorescent pigment which is labeled at the cells and is used as a parameter showing presence/absence of a cell surface antigen recognized by a fluorescent pigment labeled antibody, the amount of nucleic acid coupled with a fluorescent pigment and the like. In addition, impedance is measured by an electrical resistance method and used as a parameter showing the volume of cells.
In order to analyze measurement data in a flow cytometer, a data analysis apparatus for plotting a measurement value of each cell with respect to the axis of such a measurement parameter and creating and displaying a drawing showing a characteristic distribution of cells in a cell group is used. A one-dimensional distribution map using one measurement parameter is also referred to as a histogram and is created as a graph in which an X axis denotes a measurement parameter and a Y axis denotes the number (count) of cells. A two-dimensional distribution map using two measurement parameters is also referred to as a cytogram and is created by plotting cells based on the measurement values thereof in a coordinate plane in which an X axis denotes one measurement parameter and a Y axis denotes the other measurement parameter.
Since unnecessary cells which are not analysis objects are included in a cell group used as a sample, measurement data is analyzed after picking out a cell sub-group, which is an analysis object, from the cell group used as the sample. The cell sub-group, which is the analysis object, is picked out by specifying a region, in which the cell sub-group is present, on the histogram or the cytogram. This operation is called “gating” because target cells are surrounded in the region specified on the histogram or the cytogram.
On the histogram having one measurement parameter as an axis or the cytogram having one combined measurement parameter as an axis, a cell sub-group which is an analysis object and unnecessary cells may be present in an overlap region. For example, when a lymphocyte is analyzed using human peripheral blood as a sample, some monocyte and lymphocyte may be present in the same region on the cytogram having forward scattered light (FS) and side scattered light (SS) as axes. Accordingly, when gating is performed, it is necessary for the user to specify the region in which monocyte is not surrounded and only lymphocyte is present.
In order to specify the region so as to surround only the cell sub-group to be analyzed without surrounding unnecessary cells, in the related art, it is necessary for the user to perform gating with reference to a plurality of histograms or cytograms. The number of measurable parameters has been increased in association with improvement in performance of a flow cytometer. Thus, it is necessary for the user to refer to more histograms or cytograms. At this time, it is necessary for the user to perform a gating operation while recalling a stereoscopic distribution map (3-dimensional distribution map) obtained by two cytograms.
In order to support the gating operation of the user, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-17497 proposes an analysis apparatus including measurement data acquiring means for acquiring first, second and third measurement data from an analyte, three-dimensional distribution map creating means for creating a three-dimensional distribution map showing a distribution of a tangible component included in the analyte using the first, second and third measurement data as the axes, region setting means for setting the fraction region on the three-dimensional distribution map to be changable, and a reference distribution map creating means for creating at least one of a two-dimensional distribution diagram using the first and second measurement data as axes and a frequency distribution map using the first measurement data as the axis with respect to the tangible component belonging to the fraction region set by the region setting means (see claim 9 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-17497). According to the analyzing apparatus, it is possible to set the fraction region on the three-dimensional distribution map while referring to the two-dimensional distribution map (cytogram) and the frequency distribution map (histogram) displayed along with the three-dimensional distribution map. In addition, the three-dimensional distribution map of this analysis apparatus is planarly displayed on the display and is not stereoscopic.
In association with the present disclosure, a two-eye stereo three-dimensional image technique (3D stereoscopic image technique) will be described. In the two-eye stereo three-dimensional image, first two images are obtained when a right eye and a left eye view of an object are prepared. Such images are simultaneously displayed, a right-eye image is provided only to a right eye and a left-eye image is provided only to a left eye. Thus, an image projected on the eye when viewing an object in a three-dimensional space is reproduced such that the user stereoscopically views the object.
In a 3D display in which a stereoscopic view is enabled, (a) a glasses system, (b) a naked-eye system and (c) a viewer system are mainly employed. In (a) the glasses system, there are an anaglyph system, a polarized filter system and a time division system. In (b) the naked-eye system, there are a parallax barrier system and a lenticular system and, in (c) the viewer system, there are a stereoscope system and a head mount system.